Means for folding newspapers and the like



oct, 29, 1946. K C, GARRISON 2,410,059 l MEANS FOR FOLDING NEWSPAPRS ANDTHE LIKE Filed April 1Q 1942 IN VEN TOR. Y /E/V/VETH 0 64E/@50N PatentedOct. 29, 1946 OFFICE MEANS FOR FOLDING NEWSPAPERS AND THE LIKE KennethC. Garrison, Norwalk, Calif. Application April 1, 1942, Serial No.437,233

2 Claims.

l My invention relates to a means for and method of folding newspapers.

It has become extremely diliicult to obtain the necessary materials forsecuring newspapers in folded conditions. In order to overcome suchscarcity it will and has become necessary to fold newspapers in adifferent manner, in order to make delivery thereof convenient. Such newmethod of folding, however, requires considerable time and labor, oftenresulting in delayed deliveries.

The principal object of this invention is to provide means wherebynewspapers may be folded and secured in such folded condition by simplemeans, and also to provide means for so folding and securing orfastening the newspaper by automatic means, thus greatly reducing thetime of delivery.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a novel andsimple machine which will quickly fold the newspaper in the desiredcondition and fasten the newspaper after being folded.

An important object also of this invention is the provision of a machineof this class in combination with a conventional printing press fromwhich printed newspapers are issued in stacked or overlapping order, mymachine being adapted successively and wholly to separate newspapersfrom each other before being folded.

Another objectof this invention is to provide a machine of this class incombination with a printing press from which newspapers are issued withtheir ragged edges foremost, that is, with the initial folded portionsinnermost, my machine providing means for reversing the printed andpartially folded newspaper and directing the same with the foldedportions foremost.

A further object of this invention is to provide aV novelly folded andfastened or sealed newspaper.

'A still further object of this invention is to provide a novel methodof mechanically folding and securing or sealing the newspaper in thedesired folded condition.

With these and other objects in view as will appear hereinafter, I havedevised a novelly folded and secured or sealed newspaper, a novel methodof Yfolding and securing or sealing the same, andA a novel mechanism forfolding newspapers, as will be hereinafter described in detail andparticularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference thereon, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a view of a newspaper preparatory to folding by the usualprinting press;

Fig. 2 is a view of the newspaper as it is issued from the printingpress;

Fig, 3 is a perspective View of the newspaper after being folded by mymachine;

Fig. 4 is a schematic view in plan showing my machine, in one form, forfolding, and fastening, securing or sealing the newspaper;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view thereof in elevation of a newspaper printingpress, and successive newspaper reversing unit, separating unit, andfolding unit of my machine; and,

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views takenrespectively through 6 6, '1 -'1, and 8 8 of Fig. 4.

Newspapers are customarily delivered by printing presses, as shown inFig. 2, after having been double-folded twice, as indicated by dottedlines a and b in Fig. l. It is customary for newsboys in some localitiesto receive the newspapers folded in this manner and to fold the sameagain along fold lines designated c and d, as shown in Fig. 2, and tohold the same in such folded condition, shown in Fig. 3, by a, rubberband, preparatory to delivery. With my new folding machine shown in thedrawing, the newspapers are folded in a similar manner and are held,fastened, or sealed in such condition by a staple or staples.

In the conventional high speed newspaper printing press, the newspapersare delivered folded, as indicated in Fig. 2, in stacked or overlappingorder, and also with the ragged edge foremost, that is, with the foldalong the line b innermost, the delivery being made on orby a suitableconveyor means extending from the printing press.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, I have shown my folding machine A incombination with such a, printing press B, and provided with a newspaperreversing unit C and a separating unit D interposed therebetween, forsuccessively reversing the individual newspapers so that said fold,along the line b, is foremost, and also for` wholly separating the samefrom each other.

The folding unit of my machine will first be described. It is shown ashaving a chute l which receives, at one end, the newspapers from theprinting press B. This chute is supported on a frame 2 which carries theother elements of the unit A.

The folding portion consists of successively or progressively arrangedangularly inwardly directed and inwardly curved fold forming plates 3and 4, which are commonly known. These.

plates are located at opposite sides of the chute, and may be formed asa part of the chute.

Along the chute, and opposite the forming plate 3, are pairs of rollers5, 6, and 1 which are arranged transversely of the chute, one roller ofeach pair being positioned above and others below the chute. The chutehas transverse openings la, Ib, and lc opposite the respective pairs ofrollers 5, ii, and "l, Through these openings operate the rollers toreceive the newspapers between the rollers of each pair. It will benoted that the bottom of the chute, at the receiving side of therollers, is lower than the portion at the feed side, as shown in thedrawing, in order to assure the newspaper being redirected to the topside of the chute. The rollers 5 are shown as extending across the wholeof the chute, while the rollers 6 and l are shorter, being spaced fromthe edge at which the folding plate 3 is positioned. These three pairsof rollers feed the newspaper along the chute and cause the oppositeedge to be folded over or .turned inwardly bythe folding plate 3.

Along the opposite edge of the chute, and opposite the folding plate 1l,are vpositioned other pairs of rollers 8 and '9 which are similarlymounted on the frame and also similarly positioned with respect to the4chute and to each other. The rollers Band "S cause successivenewspapers to be fed forwardly at one edge While the opposite edge isfolded over or turned inwardly Vby the fold forming plate d. The rollers'8 `and 9 also crease the newspapers at the portion folded b-y thefolding plate 3.

Also mounted on'theframe'and in similar relation with respect'to thechute, is another pair of rollers l which are spaced from the end of thefolding plate d. The rollers of the latter pair cause the newspaper tobe creased at the portion folded by the folding plate l4.

:It will be here noted that at the lateral portions of 'the .chute i,-at which no folding means or feed or creasing rollers are located, Ihave provided upwardly and inwardly curved retaining flanges Id whichare adapted Yto .hold the newspapers in the chute while they are fedfrom one end of the chute tothe other.

In order to fold Vthe rnewspapers as herein stated, the same Ymust beseparated or `fed individually into the folding portion or unit A of themachine. Therefore, in order to obtain this result, the newspapersissuing from the printing press in stacked or overlapping order, must'beseparated, or individualized. Such separating means or unit, designatedD herein, is shown as consisting of awide chute H .having twosuccessively-arrangedpairs of transverse rollers l2 and i3. The chute llis shown as an :extension of the chute l. The'rollers i2 and 'i3 arepositioned in the Asame relation 'with respect to the bottom ofthe chuteas described above in connection with the other rollers. The rollers Al2are speeded so that their surfacespeed is approximately six times thatofthe speed 'of the newspaper issuing from the printing press, orprinting press conveyor. And the speed of the rollers I'3 is such thatthe surface `speed thereof 'is approximately twice that'of the rollersli2. Thus, vas the newspapers are fed into the rollers 12, they yareliterally `grabbed at considerable speed, causing "at lea-st partialseparation of the Vnewspapers from each other as they are fed from theprinting press. If such newspapers are Vnot wholly separated bytherollers l2, such separation, or segregation may be .completed by therollers i3, -or 'by further stages. The'newspapersare tnenlin conditionto 4 be folded by the folding unit A, described above.

The reversing unit C, referred to above, and as shown in the drawing,precedes the separating unit D, or is interposed between the separatingunit and the printing press, for taking the newspapers as they come fromthe press and reversing them so that the second mentioned folded edges bare foremost, and then feeding such reversed newspapers into theseparating unit D. The newspapers are fed from a horizontal portion orpath C1 to an upperly inclined path C2, and thence to a downwardlyinclined path C3 and back to a horizontal portion or path C4, from whichthe reversed newspapers are fed into the separating unit D.

As shown in the drawing, the newspapers are conveyed in the horizontalposition C1 between a horizontal conveyor 2| and a horizontal portion ofa triangular conveyor 22. These conveyors 2l and 22, as well as the oneswhich will be hereinafter referred to, are preferably continuous coilsprings, as are now in common use.

The lower sides of the inclined portions C2 and C3 are provided byanother triangularly operating conveyor 2.3, the belts or springsthereof extending around one of the drums 2la operating the conveyor 2|.The upper portion of the path C2 is provided by an upwardly inclinedextension 22a of the conveyor 22. As the newspapers are ejected beyondthe upper portion of the conveyor 23, they are forced to pass over thedrum 23e at the vertex portion of the conveyor 23, causing the foldedportion of the newspaper to be thrown to the other inclined portion ofthe conveyor 23. The upper side of the portion or path C3 is formed bymeans of a straight portion or side V2da of another triangular conveyor24, which is similarly constructed. The conveyor 24 has one side 2libwhich provides the upper side of the portion C4 of the path of the unitC. The lower side of the por-tion C4 is formed by another horizontalconveyor 25, the belts or springs of which extend around one of thelower drums over which the belts or'springs of the conveyor 23Y extent.Above 3 the conveyor 24 is a guide 26 against which the newspapers arethrown after they pass above the drum 23a and by which they are directedto pass, with the folded edge foremost, Vbetween the conveyors 23 and24.

After the newspapers are folded, as described, they are fastened, held,or sealed, in such a condition by -a fastening means 3l which is hereshown as a stapler, the stapling portion being provided in the head 31athereof, and thedie 3lu being provided below the chute 1, as" shown.

It is obvious that the reversing unit is omitted if newspapers areissued from the printing press,V

or discharge conveyor thereof, with the folded edges foremost. llt isalso obvious that lthe separating unit may be omitted if the newspapersare issued from the printing press, or discharge conveyor thereof,singly, or in separated condition. It is further obvious that suchseparating or individualizing mechanism may be provided in the newspaperpress itself, or inthe discharge conveying means thereof, or after thereversing unit.

Though I have shown and described a particular construction,combination, and arrangement of parts. and portions, and have suggestedcertain vmodifications thereof, I do not wish toV be limited to thesame, Vbut desire to include in the scope of my invention theconstruction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth inthe appended claims.

.I- claim: Y

'1. In a newspaper folding machine, a guiding means for guidingnewspapers atwise, a pair of successive folding devices at oppositesides of the guiding means for folding successively the edges of thenewspaper at the opposite sides of the guiding means inwardly over themiddle portion of the newspaper, rollers in association with the guidingmeans, rollers being located opposite the respective folding devices forfeeding the separate newspapers successively through the folding deviceswith which the rollers are associated, the rollers opposite the secondsuccessive folding device being also arranged to crease the foldproduced by the first folding device, and other rollers positionedprogressively beyond and in substantial alignment with the secondfolding means for creasing the fold produced by the latter.

2. In a newspaper folding machine, a guiding means for guidingnewspapers atwise, a pair of successive folding devices at oppositesides of the guiding means for folding successively the opposite edgesof the newspapers, at the opposite sides of the guiding means, inwardlyover the middle portion of the newspaper, separate roller means inassociation with the guiding means and in association with each of thefolding devices, one of the roller means being located opposite each ofthe folding devices for feeding the separate newspapers successivelythrough the folding device with which the latter roller means areassociated, the roller means opposite the second successive foldingdevice being also arranged to crease the fold produced by the firstfolding device, and other roller means positioned progressively beyondand in substantial alignment with the second folding means for creasingthe fold produced by the latter.

KENNETH C. GARRISON.

